Was Jimmy Hoffa Buried in the Field Behind my House??
Growing up in a suburb near Detroit, Michigan, I was lucky to have a field behind my house. There was also a field across the busy street from us. Both fields were ripe for development. The one across the street eventually became a Krogers and a Kmart. My mom was thrilled, because she loved Kmart, especially the blue light specials. My dad, not so much.
My dad loved the fields. Every day he jogged on the paths in the fields. He was so entranced by the beauty in the fields, his jog often turned into a slow walk. To say he knew the fields by heart would be an understatement. Every season brought change. He regularly picked wild flowers and branches that marked the change of the seasons.
One day we read in the paper the shocking news that Jimmy Hoffa had been kidnapped from the parking lot of the Manchus Red Fox restaurant. The restaurant was probably about twelve miles from our house. For those of you born after the 1970’s you may not know who Jimmy Hoffa was, but at the time, in and around Detroit, he was a huge presence. He was the president of the Teamster's Union from 1957-1971. This might not mean much to you, but during the mid 1900’s, unions had a strong influence on the working class. My grandpa was a truck driver and a proud member of the Teamsters Union. He made enough money in that job to buy a cottage on Lake Michigan, buy a new Buick every year, and support a wife who could stay at home with their children. He did all of this with just a third grade education.
Jimmie Hoffa had a dark side. It was well known that he had ties to the mafia. In 1967 he was arrested and convicted of jury tampering, attempted bribery, and fraud. He stayed in prison, until President Nixon pardoned him in 1971. Part of the deal was that he could no longer engage in union activities. Hoffa did not play by the rules. He continued to work with unions. Some people felt the mob was worried that Hoffa was trying to regain power through the unions, and they had him murdered. But, who knows? His body was never found. It is an unsolved mystery.
A couple days after the kidnapping, my dad was doing his usual jog behind our house. He noticed changes. Weeds were trampled down. Someone or maybe even a group of people had been in the field since he was last there. As he continued walking he was astonished to see a fresh hole dug into the ground. This hole was big enough to hide a person laying down. There were sheets of plywood, trash from fast food, and day old newspapers. He came back home and called the police.
It took a day, but the police did show up. My dad went out and met them at the hole. He said it was obvious who was in charge of this group of police. My dad tried to explain to the person in charge, what had transpired in a short time. My dad told me the police officer paid no attention to him. It was obvious this person in charge was not interested in hearing anything about the fresh hole, so soon after the Hoffa kidnapping. My dad became convinced this man, and maybe all of them, was on the take and had no interest in solving the crime. My dad felt it was in his own best interest to keep quiet. He walked back home. He continued to jog in the field, but it wasn't the same. In his mind, the field had lost its’ innocence.
That incident and the freshly dug hole has been in the deep recesses of my mind for many years. It recently resurfaced thanks to Facebook. I am a member of a group called “if you grew up in Union Lake, Michigan”. Someone mentioned the fields behind my house. Someone else replied with this, “Isn't that where Jimmy Hoffa is buried?” I was intrigued! I quickly asked the writer what he knew about Jimmy Hoffa and the field. I received no reply. I was so disappointed. What do people know about this case, and what are people not saying? It remains a mystery.